Tour de Greenbelt - Virtual Ride Sep, 19

WHEN: September 19-26, 2020

WHERE: On roads and trails all around Essex County!

Registration is only $20 this year and you can buy the popular Tour de Greenbelt jersey for $65.

Tour the incredible conserved landscape by bicycle.

Amesbury Paddle meetup Sep, 20

WHAT: kayaking from downtown Amesbury along the Powwow River. Please bring your own kayak, paddle, and lifevest. Masks required on shore. Please keep at least 6' distant from other paddlers while on the water.

RSVP required, as space is limited.

WHERE: Launch from the lower mill yard and take a leisurely paddle. (We will not be going out into the Merrimack.)

WHEN: 1:45 - 3:30 pm
Please arrive promptly so we can all launch with social distancing and keep our timing around high tide (2:30).

Story Walk at Bailey Reservation Sep, 22

WHERE: The Bailey Reservation
474 Kingsbury Ave, Haverhill

WHEN: From September 22 through October 12.

WHAT: The short loop trail at the Bailey Reservation in Haverhill is turning into a StoryWalk!

The pages from the children's book Over and Under the Pond will be posted along the trail, to read together as you walk!

It's a beautiful book written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Take a walk and discover what you can see and hear Over and Under the Pond!

In partnership with the Haverhill Public Library, we'll also send out a video reading of the book for those who can't visit or just want to hear it again at home!

For Haverhill residents, the library also has an exploration kit to lend out-- it includes a kids' book about insects, a magnifying glass, several magnifying specimen jars, two underwater viewers and instructions to make your own, plus a Greenbelt Guide with maps to all our properties. Check it out from the Haverhill Public Library and have fun exploring!

Video Guided Tour - Willowdale Mill Sep, 25

WHERE: Willowdale Mill Reservation
Winthrop Street, Hamilton

WHEN: Sign up to receive the video link on Sept. 17, watch at your convenience, then visit the property on a day of your choice the week of Sept. 17-24.

Book Club - Braiding Sweetgrass Oct, 07

WHEN: Oct. 7, 7:00 pm

WHERE: On Zoom. Sign up to get the emailed link!

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

"As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return."

Creepy Critters (virtual) Oct, 17

Join North Shore Nature Program for this virtual tour of a local reservation to find signs of some really fun creatures!

We'll send out the video link on Oct. 16, plus a map for a suggested walk to go explore on your own.

RSVP to get the link!

(Don't worry, parents, there will be nothing scary in the video - just some cool bugs/spiders and the signs and tracks that other critters leave for us to discover!)

Video Guided Tour - Beverly Commons Oct, 22

WHAT: Watch this video guided tour of Beverly Commons Conservation Area and then visit to take a walk on your own! You'll learn about the history of the property and explore some interesting sites within the conservation area.

RSVP to receive the video link and the map of the route.

WHEN: Video release will be Thursday, Oct. 22

Winter Break Outdoor Fun Dec, 28

With North Shore Nature Programs

Week of December 28

Keep warm with fun activities exploring Cox Reservation this winter break.  Schedule & Cost TBA.

Cox Reservation | Essex

Schedule and costs to be announced.